Ten funky places to hang out

One person’s funky is another’s passé. But who cares ... we’ve found a few places that beg you to pull up a chair, order a cocktail and shoot the breeze for an hour or two.

The Bungalow in Clifton – funky and fabulous. Image courtesy The Bungalow

Not enough can be said about some serious chilling out. So, find a fun place to people-watch, grab a coffee, a cocktail or a light meal, and watch the world around you. Here are some funky places to spend your down time:

The rooftop beach in Braamfontein: Many a Jo'burger will tell you the only thing that Cape Town has on us is the beach. So the guys at Play Braamfontein have created a rooftop beach with views of Nelson Mandela Bridge.

Neil Roake's Freedom Café: This restaurant that lives in a converted shipping container is one of the funkiest places in Durban. Even funkier is the new Concierge boutique hotel alongside it.

Shimmy Beach Club:Cape Town's funky new beach bar at the V&A Waterfront is a great spot to have a few cocktails and to, well, shimmy.

The Neighbourgoods Markets: Both in Cape Town (Old Biscuit Mill) and Braamfontein. We're talking lots of incredible produce to buy and a great place to hang out on any given Saturday morning.

The Maboneng Precinct: This funky portion of real estate around Arts on Main in Johannesburg just gets cooler and cooler.

Hemelhuijs: One of the trendiest restaurants in the Cape Town CBD. Funky design with a sense of humour and a delicious menu. This restaurant was one of the winners of the Boschendal Style Award for 2012 (DSTV Eat Out Awards).

Tashas le Parc: Fabulously funky Tashas le Parc in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, is a great place for coffee and a catch-up. It's a new interpretation of a French patisserie.

Pop-up cocktail bars/restaurants/pubs: These are not permanent fixtures in any city, but if you find out where to go for a good pop-up experience, good times come guaranteed. (For those who don't know: pop-up restaurants started as supper clubs in the United States and are now very popular in the UK and Canada, and here. These temporary restaurants are set up at a certain location – in a warehouse, outside under the trees, in an aeroplane hangar, wherever – and you'll usually find out about them via Facebook or Twitter.)

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